Assault Squad

He shall descend upon the perfidious foe as an Angel of Judgment from on high. Let the jump pack be his wings, and the roar of its engines a hymn of retribution.

Let the chainsword be his sceptre of decree, its harsh voice singing joyfully with each and every blow. With it shall the Assault Marine bring bloody retribution to the heretic, the traitor, and all alien aggressors who trespass on the Emperor's domain.

So will the Assault Marine be the hunter of warlords and the slayer of kings. His armour shall run slick with the life-blood of the vanquished, and all shall honour his name.

Contents

Training and Deployment

Marines are commonly assigned to Assault Squads after exemplary service in a Devastator Squad, where they have garnered experience in holding their ground against any foe.[1a] As an Assault Marine, they must not only prove themselves in close combat, but learn other vital skills, such as the operation and maintenance of Space Marine Bikes and Land Speeders. Assault Squads are used for a variety of roles; reconnaissance-in-force, decapitation strikes, and counter-assault missions are common assignments for Assault Squads.[1a]

The Assault Squad is made up of between four to nine Assault Marines, led by a Space Marine Sergeant[1c]. Because they often operate far ahead of the main force, the Sergeant has a direct uplink to the myriad datastreams and tactical overlays used to coordinate the Space Marine army, allowing for complete situational awareness.[1a]

Chapter Variations

Within the Space WolvesChapter, Assault Squads are known as Skyclaws. Unlike their counterparts in Codex Chapters, most Skyclaws are Neophytes (called Blood Claws by the Chapter) whose first exposure to combat as a Space Marine is with close-combat weapons; Skyclaws are those Blood Claws who have demonstrated special aptitude for close quarters battle and the use of Jump Packs.[2]

Due to mostly aggressive style of warfare of the Blood Angels, brothers of their 10th Company after graduating, join the ranks of Assault Squads rather than the Devastators Squad, as it is demanded in the Codex Astartes.[4]